THE 7-TH SESSION STARTS
Andriy Parubiy opened the 7-th session on September 6, 2017. In his opening speech he addressed to the MPs with a key message of unifying to ensure the sustainable development of Ukraine and continuous reforms.
The session comprises of the following activities: 10 weeks of plenaries; 7 weeks of work in the committees; 5 weeks of work with the voters; 10 hours of Government report.
The end of this session is planned for February 2, 2018.
ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS TO THE VERKHOVNA RADA
‘Ukraine is set to become a successful country of successful citizens’ was the key message of the speech of the President of Ukraine called “On the internal and external situation of Ukraine in 2017”. Among the main topics of President Poroshenko’s speech were the following: the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and visa-free regime, membership of Ukraine in the EU and NATO, on successes of Armed Forces of Ukraine and modernisation of military technologies, energy independence, anti-corruption policy etc.
The address highlighted the main goals of further reforms in Ukraine. ‘We ought to eliminate any seedbed for talks over a back-away from the reforms or the onslaught of populistic rhetorics’, underlined the speaker.
REFORM OF EDUCATION STARTS
The law “On Education” was adopted in the second reading.
The law regulates social relations arising from guaranteed by the Constitution right for education. In particular, rights and obligations of individuals and legal entities involved in the implementation of the mentioned right. In addition, the law establishes the terms of reference for state authorities and local government related to the sphere of education.
The law specifies that the right for education to be exercised through obtaining the different levels of education, in manifold ways and forms, including pre-school, comprehensive, extracurricular, vocational, higher education and education for adults. Hence, the law determines the modes of education, legal form of educational organizations along with its administrations, rules and procedures, rights and obligations. The law legibly stipulates that the language of education at the relevant establishments is the national language of the state.
TO IMPROVE THE INVESTMENT ENVIRONMENT
The draft bill on taxation of income of foreign (non-resident) securities investors has been adopted. The law refines some taxation issues related to state securities investors’ income. Any income of non-residents, generated by investments in state securities payable by a central executive body empowered to administer state financial policy, is now regarded to be tax free.
JUDICIAL REFORM TO BE CONTINUED
Last week Verkhovna Rada started to discuss judicial reform. Due to more than 4000 proposals for amendments the consideration of this bill is supposed to be resumed on the next plenary meeting on September 19, 2017.